Easy Little Pandas

I made some cute chocolate cupcakes for you today.

And theyre mini, too. Its hard to tell in this picture I know.

But because the cupcakes were mini, I was able to use chocolate chips to dress them up as sweet little pandas.

Chocolate chip covered pandas that are super easy to make.

First frost your cupcakes. Use a decorator bag with Ateco Tip #807 and you can whiz right through this part.

Pipe a small mound of frosting on top. You dont need to cover the cupcake completely.

Because you will be pressing it into a bowl of sanding sugar to cover all the frosting. And when you do, the frosting will spread out and cover most of the top.

Like so.

Then you can start making panda faces.

Insert a chocolate chip sideways and towards the bottom for a nose.

Then press two chips pointed side down into the frosting to start on the eyes and two more in position for the ears.

I used Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips because they are a little larger in diameter and were better for panda proportions.

And the great thing about covering them in sanding sugar first, is that you can easily reshape the face if necessary without getting frosting all over your fingers.

If you want to add mouths, try black or chocolate jimmies and press them into the frosting.

Then you just need to finish the eyes.

Use a black edible ink pen to draw on white confetti sprinkles for dotted eyes and then attach them to the chips with a tiny bit of frosting to hold them in place.

You could also just pipe frosting on for eyes if you want to skip the pin and sprinkles.

There you go. Easy little pandas.

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup hot water

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Fill mini cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
• In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together with a wire whisk.
• Add eggs, oil, vanilla and milk and mix until combined.
• Add hot water and mix.
• Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Cool and decorate.

To decorate, youll need:

• Frosting (I used the one from this post)
• Decorator bag and Ateco tip 807 (or just use a ziploc bac and cut an end off)
• White sanding sugar
• Chocolate Chips (I used Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips for their size)
• Jimmies (Chocolate or black and you could also just leave them off)
• Pastel confetti sprinkles (just the white ones)
• Black edible ink pen

Enjo! y!

GAS Eatery & Supplies @ South Melbourne

South Melbourne has yet to fail me when it comes to dining. Just when we thought we had covered a fair few bunch spots and it be time to move on to another area, my friend asked me if we had been to GAS Eatery & Supplies.


So it was, brunch to be had at GAS. The place was pretty casual and we loved the long sharing table they got in the front of the house, perfect if you want to sit by yourself or go as a group.


We walked in 5 minutes before the kitchen was going to close for the breakfast menu (I believe they stop at 1pm). Quickly reading the available choices, I ordered the frittata while the rest of the crew decided to go with the lunch options. For lunch, there is no menu to order from, its simply ordering what you see on display; ranging from sandwiches, arancini balls, sausage rolls, salmon croquettes and salads.

My friend recommended that we try the sausage roll and so we did. I only have bad memories of sausage rolls from the bakery or at the gas station so this was a pleasant surprise. The mince had colourful minute pieces of onions, carrots and herbs which was served alongside a refreshing salsa. Only regret was having to share this.

The Wife ordered some salmon croquettes that were alright, a generous mix of salmon and potatoes. She also ordered some other pastries which she ! commente d was alright too but I didn't get to have a taste.

The frittata or more like a huge omelette with god know how many eggs came with chorizo, chives and maybe some cheese too. If that wasn't enough, you had bacon and tomatoes on the side. Finally finished off with salted butter on toast and what you got was a really full stomach at the end of everything.

Perfect after burning calories chasing a ball for 2 hours (futsal).

We loved the place, even though the reheating of food done in the front of the house does make your clothes smell (if you sit inside).

Did I mention they sell beer and wine too in the day?

Address and contact details:

Verdict: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. Seeing myself coming back, at least for the sausage roll.

Erawans celebration for the senses

Din Tai Fung, Causeway Bay

deconstruct has added a photo to the pool:

Kitchen staff preparing dumplings.

Millesime Gourmet Hour @ Solaris Dutamas, KL

A great way to unwind after work....

Think gourmet bites, good wine and good company...

Seared tuna

Weihenstephan beer

Good friends - Ciki and Marian

Every Monday to Fridays, Millesime will host a Gourmet Hour, their version of happy hour from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. No peanuts and crackers in sight, instead complimentary gourmet sandwiches and fine finger food are served with every order of drinks. The selection of gourmet bites will differ depending on availability of ingredients.

Sandwiches with awesome fillings such as Kobe beef, smoked duck and smoked salmon. Haloumi cheese with beetroot. Grilled portobello mushrooms. Small tasty bites. Sit back, relax and enjoy the Gourmet Hour.

The chef preparing gourmet bites for the guests

Kobe beef sandwiches.. delicious!

Grilled Portobello mushrooms

Smoked salmon sandwiches

Open-faced beef sandwiches

Oxford Landing Estates Chardonnay (RM38 per glass)

Millesime has also recently introduced the Petite Menu (3-courses for RM200++), Menu Gourmet (4-courses for RM220++) and Menu Degustation (5-courses for RM250++) which is available for dinner. Every Wed, a 4-course lunch menu with wine pairing (RM120 nett) is available and on Fridays, the Wine Lunch consists of 5-courses (RM150 nett) - weekly menus for the wine lunches are updated on their Facebook page.


Opening times: 12pm - 12am. Gourmet Hour available every Mon-Fri from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

Location: Millesime, G1-01-3, Level G1, Menara Kencana Petroleum, No.1, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-6211 0648

GPS Coordinates: 3.1711, 101.66583

*This is an invited review.

Twisted Love Movie Gala Preview Night

Twisted (ZHONG GWAI in Cantonese)is the latest horror action comedy from Writer Director Chai Yee Wei.

There are 4 different sections of the movie where I feel it some how linked and maybe not feel. But the overall movie is more funny than horror.

The story revolves around a drug dealer who banged up a young girl, a pair of con men who wants to turn over a new leaf.

Mark Lee as the drug dealer.

The mechanic cum conman taoist talking to the drug dealer.

4 cabin crews whose lives were turned upside down over a fateful night of drugs and booze.

Daughter (Joey Leong) and Mom (Choo Mi Mi)

Linda Liao (Left)

This is a story of individuals with fates intertwined and how their paths clash. A series of twisted events that is both a study on cause and effect, and how our actions affect the people around us.

Starring familiar actors from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, this film is a collaboration of some of the best comedic and acting talents from around this region.

Left Alvin Wong, Joey Leong and Candy Ice

Joey Leong who play the role as daughter to Mimi Zhu

Candy Ice

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The Director Chai Yee Wei

Left Zhu Mi Mi, Alvin Wong and Mark Lee

Mimi Zhu saying hi to the audience

Far left Dennis of One FM hosting the show.

Isaac Tan and Me watching in the same cinema with the cast.

Checkout the movie from 26th April 2012 at all major cinemas nationwide.

Waiting for the Bottle

Waiting for the Bottle

In the never-ending hunt for great and not too expensive places to eat in London the Angel and Crown in Soho has to be one of my favourite places. Only been once mind and maxed out of the overly large portion sizes and gentle atmosphere. Ostensibly a pub with a couple of small rooms above used as a restaurant; this is one of those rooms just waiting for customers and a decent bottle of vino.

The latest in the series of wine related photographs published every Sunday under the Sunday Wine Shot moniker.

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